Commercial shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply on Wednesday, with just seven commodity vessels recorded crossing the key energy chokepoint, according to preliminary ship-tracking data.

Read also: Hormuz Crisis Costs Importers $330 Billion in Six Months

The figure was down from 12 vessel movements a day earlier and well below the 10-day average of 14. Four vessels were recorded leaving the strait, while three entered.

The tracking data may not capture every movement, however. Ships operating with their automatic identification system (AIS) transponders switched off would not appear in the reported totals.

Among the vessels leaving Hormuz was the very large crude carrier Finland Prosperity, which was carrying nearly 2 million barrels of crude.

No liquefied natural gas carriers were recorded exiting the waterway.

The other three outbound vessels consisted of two dry bulk carriers and a short-range tanker carrying refined petroleum products.

On the inbound side, one dry bulk carrier, one short-range tanker and one medium-range tanker were recorded entering the strait.

Bab el-Mandeb Traffic Remains Near Average

Shipping activity through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait was considerably stronger.

A total of 28 commodity vessels passed through the strategic waterway on Wednesday, broadly in line with the 10-day average of 27 vessels. Sixteen ships entered the Red Sea route, while 12 exited.

The relatively stable traffic level contrasts with the sharp decline seen in Hormuz, highlighting the different operating conditions facing vessels using the two critical Middle East shipping corridors.

Yanbu Oil Loadings Recover

Meanwhile, crude and condensate loadings at Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port have begun to recover after falling to a six-month low in August.

Yanbu is an important alternative export hub for Saudi oil because cargoes can be moved through the Red Sea without relying on the Strait of Hormuz.

Data from Vortexa showed Yanbu loadings rising to about 3.7 million barrels per day in September, compared with 3.2 million bpd in August. The August figure was the lowest recorded since the beginning of the Iran conflict, according to the data.

Kpler’s estimates also showed a recovery, although at a lower level. The data provider put September loadings at around 2.9 million bpd, up from approximately 1.5 million bpd in August.

Yanbu activity weakened in late July and throughout August as attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis intensified around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The latest figures suggest that while shipping activity through Hormuz remains depressed, some oil flows are beginning to shift toward alternative routes and export infrastructure along the Red Sea.

For global energy and shipping markets, the level of traffic through both chokepoints will remain a key indicator of how regional security risks are affecting vessel movements and crude supply chains.